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Here Mr. Boffin was heard lustily calling at the yard gate, Halloa! Wegg! Halloa! Keep your seat, Mr. Venus, said Wegg. He may not stop. And then called out, Halloa, sir! Halloa! Im with you directly, sir! Half a minute, Mr. Boffin. Coming, sir, as fast as my leg will bring me! And so with a show of much cheerful alacrity stumped out to the gate with a light, and there, through the window of a cab, descried Mr. Boffin inside, blocked up with books. Here! lend a hand, Wegg, said Mr. Boffin excitedly, I cant get out till the way is cleared for me. This is the Annual Register, Wegg, in a cab-full of wollumes. Do you know him? Know the Animal Register, sir? returned the Impostor, who had caught the name imperfectly. For a trifling wager, I think I could find any Animal in him, blindfold, Mr. Boffin. And heres Kirbys Wonderful Museum, said Mr. Boffin, and Caulfields Characters, and Wilsons. Such Characters, Wegg, such Characters! I must have one or two of the best of em to-night. Its amazing what places they used to put the guineas in, wrapped up in rags. Catch hold of that pile of wollumes, Wegg, or itll bulge out and burst into the mud. Is there anyone about, to help? Theres a friend of mine, sir, that had the intention of spending the evening with me when I gave you up much against my will for the night. Call him out, cried Mr. Boffin in a bustle; get him to bear a hand. Dont drop that one under your arm. Its Dancer. Him and his sister made pies of a dead sheep they found when they were out a walking. Wheres your friend? Oh, heres your friend. Would you be so good as help Wegg and myself with these books? But dont take Jemmy Taylor of Southwark, nor yet Jemmy Wood of Gloucester. These are the two Jemmys. Ill carry them myself. Not ceasing to talk and bustle, in a state of great excitement, Mr. Boffin directed the removal and arrangement of the books, appearing to be in some sort beside himself until they were all deposited on the floor, and the cab was dismissed. There! said Mr. Boffin, gloating over them. There they are, like the four-and-twenty fiddlers all of a row. Get on your spectacles, Wegg; I know where to find the best of em, and well have a taste at once of what we have got before us. Whats your friends name? Mr. Wegg presented his friend as Mr. Venus. Eh? cried Mr. Boffin, catching at the name. Of Clerkenwell? Of Clerkenwell, sir, said Mr. Venus. Why, Ive heard of you, cried Mr. Boffin, I heard of you in the old mans time. You knew him. Did you ever buy anything of him? With piercing eagerness. No, sir, returned Venus. But he showed you things; didnt he? Mr. Venus, with a glance at his friend, replied in the affirmative. What did he show you? asked Mr. Boffin, putting his hands behind him, and eagerly advancing his head. Did he show you boxes, little cabinets, pocket-books, parcels, anything locked or sealed, anything tied up? Mr. Venus shook his head. |
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